The concept of applying the "water bed" techniques to a chair, and especially an office chair of the executive or swivel type, has been generally suggested by the prior researchers; as for example, the respective disclosures in United States Letters Pat. Nos. 3,984,886; 4,143,909, 4,189,181; and 4,391,466.
While the efforts of these earlier researchers are somewhat interesting and should be encouraged, nevertheless their respective solutions leave much to be desired and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, have not met with widespread acceptance in the commercial marketplace. Moreover, these intended solutions appear to "cobbled up", somewhat impractical in production, and in any event not especially tailored to relieve the inherent emotional and psychological stresses associated with the strain placed on the back of the occupant of a chair, even if the chair is of the well-upholstered executive swivel type, and more particularly on the lumbar back region of the occupant.
Indeed, my research in the field of executive stress has indicated that stress of a psychological and emotional nature is often associated with the undue physical stress encountered by an executive who is usually confined to an office chair for eight hours or more per day; and a realization of this condition has apparently eluded the prior researchers to date.
Additionally, those persons suffering from sacroiliac disorders may feel quite uncomfortable due to inadequate support of the thighs. An inadequate support of a person's thighs, either too rigid or too soft, may be translated into inappropriate pressure on the thighs, thereby causing undue stress. Thus, it would be desirable to have the capability of adjusting the degree of pressure on the person's back or on the person's thighs, especially where chronic sacroiliac problems, particularly pressure on the sciatic nerve, are encountered.
My research has also shown that patients recovering from severe burns, as well as stroke victims and those suffering from neurological diseases, have a very low toleration for pressure when seated. A pressure, which to most persons is relatively insignificant, may become quite unbearable to certain persons, as for example, an individual who is partially paralyzed.
Besides the back and the thighs, a person's forearms may encounter undue stress due to relatively rigid arm rests on a chair. For example, a person suffering from Guillian Barre Syndrome may find the forearm pressure becoming quite unbearable, even for periods of short duration. Capability of diminishing tissue pressure would alleviate discomfort and prevent tissue breakdown and "bedsores".
Despite the isolated disclosures in the prior art, no one to date (to the best of my knowledge and belief) has developed a commercially-practical scientifically-designed chair that will alleviate undue stress on the person's back, thighs and/or forearms and superficial body tissues.